By: TheStorageBin

“This had to be the worst day ever” Falkor muttered to himself, he Adjusted in the newly made crater in the dirt. stretching his wings, he felt the holes in the membrane pull open. Wincing returned to the position he laid in prior. He looked down at the ground noticing the pool of blood gathering under him, with a sigh he examined himself. Once shining red scales now encrusted with blue and purple, he was no stranger to injuries, but the long gash just under his left wing was by the far the worst he had taken. testing his strength, he Pushed off the ground. It was difficult but he stood, investigating further his fears had been correct the shoulder of his left wing was broken meaning he wouldn’t be flying for a while.

“This day could not get any worse” he said to the wind. Aiiden will never let this one go. musing to himself shaking his head. Just then the memory came to him “Aiiden!” he roared aloud searching the surrounding forest for his dear mentor. Recollections of the battle flooded his tired mind as he limped around the forest floor searching for her. It should have been an easy run; spook a frontier keep take what they had, and be home by sunset. But almost immediately it had all gone wrong, the scouts said they should face little resistance from the keep a few fliers at best, instead the moment they had arrived the keep fired a ballista at them, and not just one three! They hadn’t even had the chance to make demands before Aiiden was knocked out the sky the massive green dragon being hit by the first shot the second missed with the third glancing Falkor. He thanked the gods for his small size as the shot would have otherwise killed him. He cursed if only he could fly to spot her.

After a while of searching pushing through the trees, he spotted her three hundred yards away on a rocky outcrop. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he saw the bolt sticking out of her chest. Cautiously he took a step forward. she stirred; she was alive! He nearly shouted with glee. Even at this distance he could see the pain in her eyes as she looked at him, and shook her head. No? Tilting his head, he felt another shiver up his spine. Lowering into a crouch he watched in horror as a truly massive white dragon landed next to his dear friend with a crunch, trees and bone giving way to the dragon’s bulk, a Ballista and empty strappings laid on the dragons back. Aiiden cried out weakly as the beast looked down at her. The great white shone like the sun, light glinting off its scales and armor revealing the crest of the Royal guard. What was a dragon of the guard doing out here!? He near screamed in his mind. Holding his breath, he listened while the dragon spoke leaning towards Aiiden.

“Damnable fool you are, attacking a keep under my protection” she chuckled loudly before continuing, “I am Nithe great dragon of the royal guard, just so you know how much you fucked up” the dragon grinned “Now you will tell me where little red is, and where the rest of your compatriots are” not responding, Aiiden slowly lifted her head to face Nithe. she opened her mouth expelling a puff of gas before being slammed into the rocky ground pinning her mouth shut “Ah ah ah, none of that” Nith said whimsically. Falkor bit down on his tongue, all of his instincts told him to leap into battle, even if that meant death. “Let’s try that again!” Nithe responded shifting her weight onto Aiiden’s broken wings The green writhing underneath her. After a few moments she let up giving Aiiden room to speak. “Fuck you Bitch” was all that escaped her lips as her head fell back to the ground eyes looking to the face of her apprentice one final time. Nithe licked her lips and snickered “very well, goodnight fool” her head shot forward jaws clamping around Aiiden’s neck with an audible crunch as she broke the green dragon’s neck. Falkor’s throat throbbed as he wept silently, eyes burning into the triumphant Nithe, she laughed into the sky savoring her kill. She lifted off with a push of her massive legs and a flap of her wings.

Falkor waited for what felt like hours listening to the fading beat of her wings. His legs did an involuntary spasm as he rose from a crouch. Openly weeping he walked his way to the body of his mentor; he remembered the proud image of Aiiden in his mind just after she had taken him under her wing, then he looked to her broken body. The ballista shot protruded in the air end sticking deep in her chest likely popping one of her lungs. Looking at her once great wings he cried they laid limp shattered and broken bits of bone and metal poking out. He couldn’t bear to look any further, the little reds eyes turned to the face of his mentor. Gone were the lines of pain and her eyes were closed thankfully, ignoring the blood she almost looked peaceful. He nuzzled her cheek tears dropping onto her face, he knew the only reason he was alive was because of her, she had taken the shot for him and hadn’t ratted him out either. “please” he whimpered “you can’t leave me; you haven’t finished teaching me” his mind flashed to the many lessons his teacher gave him from flying formations to navigating storms. “Not yet!” he cried “I am nothing yet!”. He Roared into the sky arching his back. “She took you; she took you from me!” the realization hit Falkor like a flash of thunder. Lowering his head, he muttered to himself. “Il kill her.”

“I swear it”